Kerala:  People were shocked when the name of a hijab-clad woman was announced the winner in the women’s category of the Mr. Kerala competition in Kochi recently.

Wearing a hijab and into professional bodybuilding, the 23-year-old Majiziya Bhanu from Kerala is breaking stereotypes.

Studying to be a dentist, Majiziya Bhanu has already won several laurels for power lifting. But her latest victory even came as a surprise for her.

 "I was completely shocked when I won in the bodybuilding competition", Majiziya recalls. Majiziya won the best woman fitness physique at the Mr Kerala contest organised by body lifting Association.

With a smile Majiziya says she has a message. "I am comfortable with my Hijab. And I am pursuing whatever I want. I am grateful to my parents who have stood by me and my fiance. Women should be allowed to pursue their dreams. "

Awarded the title of the strongest woman of Kerala thrice by the state's Powerlifting Association, It's hard to believe that she began her power-lifting training only towards the end of 2016.

"She trains like a boy... I mean even boys don't train like she does. She has given her everything. It's not common to see women wearing hijab and training here. But she has overcome her difficulties", Shamaz, her gym instructor says.

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Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Wednesday that the state government will take over the management of 108 ambulance services, taking them out of the hands of private agencies.

Until now, the 108 ambulance services were operated by private agencies despite being owned and funded by the government. "There were several operational problems under private management. Ambulance staff often faced delays in salary payments, and the government had to step in repeatedly to resolve such issues," Rao said.

He emphasized that the government had been bearing the entire cost of the service from fuel expenses to employee wages while the operations were outsourced to a private entity. The arrangement included a single command center for the entire state, which Rao said was inadequate for managing such a critical health service.

Highlighting the importance of the 108 service in saving lives during medical emergencies, Rao revealed that a pilot project to directly manage ambulances was successfully implemented in Chamarajanagar district. Encouraged by its success, the government is now ready to expand the model statewide.

Beginning next month, all government ambulances will be brought under the direct supervision of the health department. Within three months, the department also plans to take control of the command and control functions currently handled by private agencies. A central command center will be established in Bengaluru, along with district-level centers to ensure better coordination and faster response times.

Minister Rao also added that this transition will not only streamline operations and enhance service quality but also result in significant savings running into hundreds of crores for the state exchequer.

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